经典英语美文 （98）自由就是秩序
Liberty is order.Liberty is strength. Look round the world, and admire, as you must, the instructive spectacle. You will see that liberty not only is power and order, but that it is power and order predominant and invincible – that it derides all other sources of strength. And shall the preposterous imagination be fostered, that men bred in liberty – the first of humankind who asserted the glorious distinction of formingfor themselves their social compact – can be condemned to silence upon their rights? Is it to be conceivedthat men who have enjoyed, for such a length of days, the light and happiness of freedom, can be restrained, and shut up again in the gloom of ignorance and degradation? As well, sir, might you try, by a miserable dam, to shut up theflowing of a rapid river! The rolling and impetuous tide would burst through every impediment that man mightthrow in its way; and the only consequence of the impotent attempt would be, that,having collected new forceby its temporary suspension, enforcing itself through new channels, it wouldspread devastation and ruin on every side. The progress of liberty is like the progress of the stream. Kept within its bounds, it is sure to fertilize the country through which it runs; but no power can arrest itin its passage; and short sighted, as well as wicked, must be the heart of the projector that would striveto divert its course.
自由就是秩序，自由就是力量。放眼寰球,你定然会对那些具有启发性的景象钦佩不已。你会看到，自由不仅仅是力量和秩序，而且是占据统治地位的不可征服的力量和秩序它使其他一切力量的源泉都相形见绌。那些在自由中被养育的人们，是人类当中第一批主张拥有订立自己的社会契约的殊荣的人，难道应该促进他们对其权利选择缄默不语的荒谬幻觉吗？ 试想，那些长期沐浴在自由的幸福光辉下的人们可能被压制、被重新禁锢在无知和堕落的黑暗之中吗？是的，先生，你完全可以尝试用一道可怜的堤坝去围堵奔腾湍急的河流！翻腾的急流会冲垮人们设置在河道上的任何陳碍物；这种于亊无补的尝试只会产生一个后果，那就是：河水经过暂时的停留而聚集了新的力最，强行冲破新的河道，会导致两岸四处受到损毁，并损毁一切。自由的前进如同河流的前进。假如它保持在自己活动的弹性范围之内，它必然会肥沃它所流经的土地；但是，任何势力都无法阻碍它按照自己的路径前进;那些力图改变其路径的谋划者必定是目光短浅而且令人憎恶之人。